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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Review: Venus and Serena

Release Date: May 10, 2013

Running Time: 99 minutesStarring: Venus Williams and Serena Williams

Who to see it with: Anyone that likes 30 for 30.

David:

I'm a huge fan of ESPN's 30 for 30, a collection of documentaries about some of sports greatest stories. They generally consist of a series of interviews and media clips about the pros or events being recounted in that episode. If you've seen 30 for 30, then you know what to expect from the film Venus and Serena. It follows the Williams sisters from their first appearance onto the tennis scene up through their recent tournaments. It shows how they were first introduced to tennis, their meteoric rise to the top of the sport, and some of the painful mishaps along the way. The film's format is engaging; it follows the Williams sisters as they rehab and prepare in present time while cutting back to their past to explore how they rose to stardom. The old clips are amazing to watch and it's even more enjoyable to see how far these sisters have come. The camera crew spent years with the family gaining their trust in order to have the access necessary to make this film and it shows. The Williams sisters and their family are incredibly candid and relaxed--nothing looks staged here.
The film does seem a little one-sided in parts but that's kind of expected in a movie of this nature. Also, I feel like the film became a little hard to follow at some points due to the movie's cutting back and forth between present time and the past clips. That being said, Venus and Serena is still a must see for any sports fan. Even if you're not a sports fan, there is plenty of interesting footage about and insight into the sisters and their effect on sports and popular culture. These sisters changed the face of tennis and, along the way, accumulated titles and accomplishments that will probably never be matched. See it.